Emergency Lighting.

I.S. 3217 gives guidance on the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of emergency lighting systems, and explains the different system types, their modes of operation and correct application. The current edition, I.S. 3217:2023, was published by NSAI in 2023 and supersedes I.S. 3217:2013+A1:2017.

A presentation published by the National Building Control Office summarises the main changes. The building-type annex has gone: TGD B now sets which buildings need escape lighting. Certificates are replaced by Confirmation of Compliance documents covering design, installation, commissioning, handover and annual testing. The four-yearly lux test is dropped in favour of the annual inspector's opinion on illuminance, and the testing regime is daily (central battery only), monthly, quarterly and annual.

For signs, the same summary notes that new systems must use I.S. EN ISO 7010 graphics, older sign types are acceptable only when extending an existing system, and non-graphical EXIT signs should be upgraded.

I.S. 3217 is the Irish counterpart to BS 5266-1. Both build on the European standards for emergency escape lighting, but the documentation, testing and certification regimes differ. A contractor working both sides of the border should certify to the right standard for the jurisdiction, and a wayfinding consultant should check sign graphics against whichever applies.